1953 Map of San Bernardino

About this map

The sprawling mid-century landscape of the Mojave Desert and the San Bernardino Mountains reveals a period of intense military and suburban expansion. Established defense centers like Edwards Air Force Base and Norton AFB anchor the high desert and valley, while the residential footprints of San Bernardino and Redlands begin to coalesce at the base of the San Bernardino National Forest. This 1953 compilation, based on data from the Army Map Service and USGS, illustrates the transit-oriented development of the era, following the Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe RR and historic U.S. 66. In the arid interior, the map preserves the locations of early resource extraction at the Camp Rock Mine and Sunshine Mine, alongside the vast dry playas of Lucerne Lake and Rogers Lake. This record captures the transition from a mining and ranching economy to a major strategic and residential corridor.